MANILA – The all-out-war against armed rebels by the Duterte administration will continue until all members of the New People’s Army (NPA) have surrendered, President Rodrigo Duterte said.

“I have ordered the Armed Forces and the police to go attack full-scale. Kung hindi natin maubos ito, sa panahon ko (We’ll see if we can wipe them out in my time). And looking at the political horizon there, kung sinong mag-presidente (regardless of who becomes President), I’m so pessimistic,” he said during a speech at the 2019 Outstanding Government Workers Awards rites Tuesday.

Compared to the previous administration’s call to war against insurgency, Duterte said his directive to the security forces would be different.

“(In the past) when they are already in hot water, binibitawan sila. Nilalaglag sila. Mismo ‘yung mga bunganga diyan sa Congress, nilalaglag sila. Dito sa akin, sige, (They are being dropped. Those mouths in the Congress are pinning them down. As for me, it’s fine,) you just do your duty in accordance with law. Ako ang mag-amin sa lahat (I will admit everything). I take full responsibility,” he stressed.

Duterte lamented that he even went out of his way to resolve the issue with the communists and even appointed hardcore Communist Party of the Philippines members to his Cabinet. This, as he also initiated talks within the very walls of Malacanang.

“Sabi mo, hindi (You said there will be no) coalition government. Pero ‘yung mga (But the) JASIG (Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees), ‘yung agreement na previous, ‘pag ipasok mo ‘yan sa fabric ng national laws natin pati Constitution, parang ang labas coalition talaga (The previous agreement, if you will enter that into the fabric of national laws and even the Constitution, it will really appear as a coalition),” he added, recalling his past exchanges with the couple.

The chief executive said the issue of talking to the communists is almost nil as their leaders are too “ambitious” with their demands.

With the recent brutality and attacks of communists against security forces, Duterte said he was compelled to order an all-out-war against the rebels.

MANILA – For President Rodrigo Duterte, dismissed Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor Faeldon has had enough controversies to be given a new position in his Cabinet.

In an exclusive interview over 24 Oras on Saturday (Sept. 7) which was aired on Monday (Sept. 9), Duterte bared that he has no plans of reappointing Faeldon despite having done so in the past.

“No, not…I don’t think so. He has had enough of controversies in the last few years,” Duterte said.

Prior to being BuCor chief, Faeldon was deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), a disaster-response agency under the Department of National Defense (DND).

Before that, Faeldon was BOC Commissioner but resigned after being tagged in the PHP6.4 billion worth of shabu that slipped past the agency in May 2017.

Duterte, however, said he still trusts Faeldon, noting that he refused to believe that he was involved in corruption within the BuCor.

“But I do not believe that he’s dishonest,” he added.

In a recent speech in Naga City, Cebu, Duterte cited Faeldon’s contribution to the government when he was still commissioner of the Bureau of Customs particularly the seizure of PHP3.2 billion worth of Mighty Corp. cigarettes with fake tax stamps in Bulacan.

“There was a day when a businessman had two warehouses of cigarettes carrying fake tax stamps. It was Faeldon who tipped me off, sir, two warehouses were found. If he silently talked to the owner and asked for himself, it would made him millions,” Duterte said.

Last Sept. 4, Duterte sacked Faeldon for disobeying his order to block the release of heinous crimes convicts under the controversial Good Conduct and Time Allowance (GCTA) law.

Meanwhile, Duterte ordered all heinous crimes convicts who have been released to surrender to police and military and have their sentence recomputed.

“I’m just asking you to come back, If you fall within the category of those who can be released, you can go home. And for the heinous crimes, well, let me think about it. Either I set you free or I’ll drop you there in the Pasig river,” Duterte said.

“My order is to get you dead or alive,” he added. (PNA / Azer Parrocha)

MANILA – Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday confirmed that an investigation would be undertaken on possible irregularities in the computation of good conduct time allowance (GCTA) on the prisoners’ remaining sentences.

In a chance interview, Guevarra said he believes such anomalies happen inside the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) but noted that an investigation will come only after the Senate has concluded its own legislative inquiry.

“It’s still in the Senate. So, further investigation is being done to validate the existence of the so-called GCTA for sale. I do not have the facts before me but I tend to believe that is a very real possibility,” he said.

“(D)efinitely. That (GCTA irregularities) will be part of the investigation because after we have completed the guidelines or even before that, I intend to conduct an inquiry into what’s going on at the BuCor in connection with the GCTA allowances,” Guevarra said.

The DOJ, he said, will screen names and whoever is designated as officer-in-charge (OIC) should be able to handle the present crisis at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Guevarra added that the OIC might come from within the BuCor but said a more permanent appointee might be an outsider.

“I hope when the President makes his permanent appointment, he will choose someone from the outside. Fresh blood will be infused to the BuCor. But for purposes of designating an OIC, it’s got to be competent from the inside para alam na niya (so that he already knows) what’s going on. Mahirap ‘yung OIC mangangapa (It would be difficult if the OIC is not privy to the matter) at this very critical stage. We need somebody who is very knowledgeable,” he said.

In a Senate hearing late Thursday, Yolanda Camelon, common-law wife of an inmate at the NBP, disclosed the “GCTA for sale” scheme allegedly being run by some prison officials. (PNA / Benjamin Pulta)

“Faeldon has to go because Faeldon disobeyed my order,” Duterte said, referring to his instruction to Senator Christoper “Bong” Go to tell Faeldon to prohibit the release of the 1,900 heinous crimes convicts.

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday night fired Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor Faeldon for “disobeying” his order not to allow the release of nearly 2,000 heinous crimes convicts supposedly eligible under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.

“I am demanding the resignation of Faeldon immediately. Second, that I am calling for an investigation to be handled by the Ombudsman,” Duterte said in a televised press briefing in Malacañang.

Asked to clarify if his call for Faeldon’s resignation meant he was firing the Bucor chief, Duterte said: “Yes.”

“Faeldon has to go because Faeldon disobeyed my order,” Duterte said, referring to his instruction to Senator Christoper “Bong” Go to tell Faeldon to prohibit the release of the 1,900 heinous crimes convicts.

Duterte refused to say if he had completely lost his trust and confidence in Faeldon.

“That is a matter between me and Faeldon,” he said.

He also bared that he rejected Faeldon’s attempt to speak to him about the GCTA law.

Meanwhile, Duterte ordered other BuCor officials and the committee responsible for allowing the release of the 1,700 heinous crimes convicts to report to him and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

Although he will not order their suspension, Duterte said he will have them investigated under the Office of the Ombudsman.

“In the meantime, I will not suspend them but they will be investigated. Diretso na ito sa (But they will go straight to the) Ombudsman. This is a prima facie case. There’s an admission that they were remiss in their duties,” Duterte said.

Duterte also encouraged the 1,700 heinous crimes convicts to surrender to the nearest police or military stations within 15 days.

“Lahat nakulong at na-release sa batas na ito (All those jailed and released under this law), 1,900 of you, you surrender and have yourself registered with the BuCor,” Duterte said.

“I will give you 15 days liberty provided you make yourself available anytime that you will be called for investigation to have a recomputation or if there’s an investigation of corruption that you cooperate fully,” he added

He said all heinous crime convicts who have been released but refuse to surrender will be treated as fugitives.

“If you do not, then beginning at this hour, you are a fugitive from justice. And you will be treated as a criminal who is evading the law and well you know things can go wrong. If I were you, mag-surrender na kayo to the nearest police or military detachment wherever you are now,” he added.

Duterte said the released inmates with heinous crimes will be automatically barred from living the country. (PNA / Azer Parrocha)

Panelo, who is also Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, said he will be filing libel complaints against the two news outlets for their “malicious” reports which are meant to discredit him.

Inquirer.net used the word “recommended” while Rappler used the word “endorsed” when Panelo insisted he only referred the letter to the appropriate agency or department.

“I’m filing a libel case against Inquirer.net and Rappler for publishing these malicious articles immediately,” Panelo said in a media interview on Tuesday but did not give an exact date when to file the charges.

Because of the words used in the report, Panelo said, “people are saying now that I really did something about the so-called release.”

He reiterated that he merely wrote a referral letter to the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) to act on the request of Sanchez’s daughter, Marie Antonelvie, to grant her father pardon but “never recommended anything.”

“The application was referred to the Bureau of Pardons and Parole [sic] for their evaluation. We have nothing to do with it. But then they’re writing an article saying I recommended, I did not,” Panelo said.

He said he asked both Inquirer.net and Rappler to correct their reports but they have not tried to do so.

“I demanded rectification from NetInquirer (Inquirer.net) but I have not received any report from them. I sent a text earlier just before the press briefing. I also texted Pia (Ranada of Rappler) and I told her no intervention, I explained to her but she has not responded. She just said ‘got it.,’” Panelo said.

Panelo, who was a former broadcaster himself, said journalists “should be writing accurately.”

“The letter says I’m just referring the letter and when they said it was denied, I said ‘Thank you for your prompt response, nothing more,’” Panelo said.

He said he did not feel the need to inhibit from writing a referral letter despite being Sanchez’s former lawyer since he was only performing official duties by responding to all letters by referring it to the proper agency or department.

“It doesn’t matter to me because you cannot discriminate otherwise you will also be accused of discriminating them because you were a former lawyer of 27 years. The president said is you have to respond to all,” Panelo said.

“In the first place, the letter was not even in reference to Republic Act No. 10592, it refers to their applying for clemency,” he added.

R.A. 10592 or the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law provides new guidelines on how to compute good conduct time, including a 20-day deduction for each month of good behavior during the first two years of imprisonment.

No influential person

Panelo also rejected the claim of Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Ferdinand Gaite, who said the Palace official’s letter of referral could be interpreted as “intervention to act favorably on the application of early release” of Sanchez.

“In the first place, it was not a referral letter to act favorably. The letter speaks for itself, it was an ordinary referral of them to do something about the request. That’s for them (BPP) to decide, we have nothing to do with it,” Panelo said.

He said there is no influential person to President Rodrigo Duterte and that a letter bearing his signature and his office’s official seal should not put pressure on any department to act favorably.

Panelo said all letters of referral are sent to heads of agencies and departments who are “responsible, competent, and intelligent enough” to follow the President’s policy.

In a statement, Inquirer.net said it respected Panelo’s right to sue for libel “if he feels aggrieved by the report.”

“We shall refer the matter to our lawyers when he files the suit,” Inquirer.net said.

In a separate statement, Rappler described Panelo’s libel threat as “pure diversionary tactic”, noting that the Palace official should have just answered questions about his possible conflicts of interest instead of “shooting the messenger.” (PNA / Azer Parrocha)

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will decide on the fate of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor Faeldon and other officials once congressional hearings on good conduct time allowance (GCTA) are over, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador said that while hearings are ongoing, Duterte will “maintain the status quo” but will consider congressional findings once they are concluded.

“As regards the officials in the Bureau of Corrections, the President will maintain the status quo until the congressional hearings are concluded,” Panelo said in a statement.

“He will be monitoring the conduct of the legislative investigation and give appropriate consideration to the findings of Congress,” he added.

On Monday, the Senate held its first hearing on the GCTA law, also known as Republic Act 10592, particularly the early release of inmates convicted of heinous crimes which was attended by Faeldon and other officials.

Faeldon admitted that he allowed the release of convicted rapist-murderer, former Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez but insisted that he did not sign a release order.

Sanchez was sentenced to seven counts of reclusion perpetua (up to 40 years imprisonment) for the rape and murder of University of the Philippines Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her companion, Allan Gomez in 1993.

The BuCor chief explained that the process of allowing Sanchez’s release was never completed.

After public outcry over the release of Sanchez and other inmates Faeldon said he stopped the process.

Faeldon said he personally did not want Sanchez to be released but was only following the GCTA guidelines. (PNA / Azer Parrocha)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Friday filed charges of kidnapping with serious illegal detention against former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and three others before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The PNP-CIDG endorsed the complaint filed by Guillermina Barrido, also known as Guillermina Arcillas.

In her complaint, Barrido claimed she was kidnapped and detained from December 6 to 21, 2016 and placed in a convent to force her to sign a ready-made affidavit maligning President Rodrigo Duterte.

She claimed she was shuttled between the Convent of Cannussian Sisters in Makati City to the Holy Spirit Convent in Quezon City during the two-week period.

She named Trillanes, Fr. Albert Alejo, lawyer Jude Sabio and certain Sister Ling of the Cannussian Sisters convent in the charge sheet along with several John and Jane Does.

Barrido said the sworn statement against the Duterte family she was coerced to sign was originally executed in 2017.

“It is clear from the foregoing that herein respondents, maliciously and intentionally put the complainant under detention for 14 days in order to force her to do something against her will,” Police Lt. Col. Domingo D. Soriano said in the charge sheet . (PNA / Benjamin Pulta)

In a statement from his Facebook Page, Trillanes denied having a hand in the kidnapping of Barrido.

Pres. Duterte said that although he supported several family-planning methods, including contraception after seeing how poor Filipinos have suffered, he will not allow an abortion policy in the country.

Duterte said he hoped that Iceland, which recently sponsored a resolution at the United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to look into the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign would “freeze in time”.

“Iceland allows the slaughter of the fetus inside the womb of the mother up to six months. P***** i** nila. They worry more of the drug lords at itong mga (and these) who are pushing drugs, killing our citizens, and creating a social dysfunction in almost all tinamaan (being affected),” Duterte said, during the 31st anniversary celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) main office in Quezon City.

“Tapos tinuturuan ako kung ano ang gawin ko (And then you teach me what to do). I am sorry for you. That’s why you are condemned there in the ice forever. I hope you will freeze in time,” he said.

Duterte said that although he supported several family-planning methods, including contraception after seeing how poor Filipinos have suffered, he will not allow an abortion policy in the country.

“Of course, abortion is out of the question. I will not allow it. Just like itong (this) Iceland who initiated that signature campaign to condemn us sa (when it comes to) extrajudicial killing,” Duterte said.

Duterte described Iceland’s policy of allowing abortion as “shameless”.

Earlier, Pres. Duterte issued Executive Order 70 directing the creation of a national task force to end local communist armed conflict, as well as the adoption of a national peace framework that will contain policies addressing the root causes of insurgencies.

MANILA – Warning of “a little trouble” in the coming months, President Rodrigo Duterte urged the military to end communist insurgency stressing the government could not afford to pass it on to the next generation of Filipinos.

“I’m serving notice to everybody that in the coming months, it will be — not really bloody, but there will be at least, a little trouble for our country,” Duterte said during the 31st anniversary celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) main office in Quezon City on Tuesday night.

“So I am telling the military, ‘Can we end it now?’ We cannot afford to pass it on to the next generation. Baka hindi na nila makaya (They might not be able to handle it). It has to be now,” he added.

Duterte also hinted at imposing “very radical change” in the government but did not elaborate what these were.

“Revolution is no longer a vogue. You cannot win a fight for social justice or for a better life in your country if you go to revolution. It won’t work. Hindi nga kayo makahawak ni isang barangay (You can’t even occupy one village). And in the coming days, there will be a very, very radical change in the behavior of government,” Duterte said.

“You know, I am not challenging. You might win or you may lose, but that is something to be seen,” he added.

For him, Duterte thinks the government could no longer afford to wage a war against communist rebels for another 50 years.

“We do not have that hatred in our heart. Ang akin lang (But for me), it’s about time that you stop this revolution. If you want changes, it has to be through evolution. Dahan-dahan lang (We should do it slowly),” Duterte said.

The President also emphasized that the country would never prosper if social ills such as communist insurgency, criminality, and corruption are not curbed.

“I will not stay forever in this world, but these are two things which you must remember. If we cannot have law and order in this country and if we cannot stop corruption in government, there can be no — never will we rise to the next step as a nation,” Duterte said.

Aside from communist insurgency and corruption, Duterte also stressed the need to put a stop to illegal drugs in the country.

“We have to finish it pati droga (even drugs). And this will make us a magnet for all criticisms that are — they’re waiting us — waiting for us to do and commit a wrong,” Duterte said.

Last March, Duterte officially announced the permanent termination of the peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) in preference for localized peace engagements.

He has also repeatedly urged communist rebels to “choose a better fight in life”, assuring that the government will provide them with livelihood assistance as long as they laid down their arms.

Earlier, Duterte issued Executive Order 70 directing the creation of a national task force to end local communist armed conflict, as well as the adoption of a national peace framework that will contain policies addressing the root causes of insurgencies.

He also designated Cabinet secretaries as Cabinet Officers for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) “to help ending regional and local communists.” (PNA / Azer Parrocha)

Ex-mayor Antonio Sanchez was sentenced to seven counts of reclusion perpetua (up to 40 years imprisonment) for the rape and murder of University of the Philippines Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her companion, Allan Gomez in 1993.

MANILA – Convicted rapist and murderer, former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez, is not eligible for an earlier release from prison, Malacañang said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo reiterated that Sanchez is not eligible because Republic Act 10592 states that “recidivists, habitual delinquents, escapees and persons charged with heinous crimes” are excluded from the law’s coverage.

The law provides new guidelines on how to compute good conduct time, including a 20-day deduction for each month of good behavior during the first two years of imprisonment.

“The law is very clear. It gave four categories that cannot be covered by the expressed provision of the law kaya hindi talaga pu-puwede (that’s why he really cannot be released),” Panelo said in a television interview.

Panelo said some sectors initially floated the possibility of Sanchez’s early release because they misunderstood the provision in the law emphasizing the exemptions.

He insisted that President Rodrigo Duterte would not allow Sanchez to walk free, saying the President even told Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Nicanor Faeldon not to allow the former mayor’s release.

“Nakausap ko si Presidente, talagang sabi niya nga the very night na lumabas ‘yan eh tinawagan niya na si Commissioner Faeldon at sinabi niya na kaagad ang stand niya (I spoke to the President, he said the very night the news came out, he called Faeldon and told him his stand not to allow the release),” Panelo said.

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Duterte’s former aide, also confirmed to reporters that Duterte would not allow Sanchez to be released.

Sanchez was sentenced to seven counts of reclusion perpetua (up to 40 years imprisonment) for the rape and murder of University of the Philippines Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her companion, Allan Gomez in 1993.

Panelo, Sanchez’s former lawyer, earlier denied his involvement in Sanchez’s possible release, saying he withdrew as the former mayor’s lawyer in 1995.

On Monday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it will conduct a 10-day review period on the contentious implementing rules and regulations of the law. (PNA / Azer Parrocha)